[3] The common name "riflebird" comes from the likeness of their black velvety plumage to the uniform of the British Army Rifle Brigade.

Males have an iridescent purple sheen plumage, which becomes more blue-green on the head and more bronze on the lower breast.

When the male begins to display, he erects the feathers of his throat and sides to accentuate the bright colours of his plumage in the shafts of sunlight that pierce the dimness of the rainforest.

The pair then face each other closely, and each bird raises and extends its wings forward alternately in an increasingly rapid rhythm.

The Victoria's riflebird is evaluated as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.